Internal-combustion engine.



W. S. SUTTON.

INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE. l

APPLIOATIONIILED JAN. 6, 1913.

A Ptentea July 14,1914r ...el u 4, r- IIIIIIIlllIllIMllIllIlllIlI/IM Sz g anun y W. s. SUTTON. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

I APPLICATION FILED .TAN- 6, 1913. 1,103,325, Patented July 14,1914.

3 sHEBTs-sHEET-z.

W. S. SUTTON. INTERNAL COMBSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 1111.6, 191'3.

1,103,325. N N v Patented July 14,1914.

J 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lle

` 1. Fig. 3 is a detail Rockford, in the county oWinnebago an narran sans arriinrr iranien.,

winnie-ia s. snaren, er macaroni), trainers.

lrn'frnaznar.-coiiiiens'rron enema.

arcanes.

I Specification o Letters Patent.

Patenten aan; ia, reir..

appiieaacn niet renner-y t, wie. semi no. 740,571.

T all whom imay concern I Be it known that l, WILLIAM S. Sn'rroi\r, a citizen, of thelUnited States, residing at State of Tllinois, have invented new land vuseful lmprovements in llnternal-Combusf without the necessity of an electrical igniter or mechanism of a similar character,' and also without the employment of a constant llame, hot tube, or Vthe like. auxiliary compression chamber is employed, in which an explosive mixture and compressed to a degree to cause its spontaneous ignition. This explosion is caused to take place at the proper time, and is communicated to the charge in the engine, so as to explode the latter.

YVhile the invention may be embodied in various ways, one-form of construction that is at present considered the preferable one, is illust-rated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of an internal combustion engine-equipped `with the igniter. Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line it- A, of Fig. section of the clutch, as illustrated in Fig. 1', but on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a sectional view at right angles to Fig. 1, and showing the plunger in a different position. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the clutch in the position shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 i's a view similar to Fig. 2, but 'illustrating the actuating means for the plunger in a different position. Fig. 7 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of the clutch, as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view on the line D D of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of the means for varying the time of the ignition. Fig. 10 is a view at right angles to Fig. A9. Fig. 11 is adetail sectional view on the line G-C of: Fig. 1. Fig. 12 isa view similar to Fig. 11, but showing the parts in an altered relation.

and respectively on the lines FL-F, F-F, and G-G of Fig 8.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the igures of the drawings.

To this end, an f is admittedl `the top of the crank4 mounted in a bearing 4A. 'Thelupper end ot Figs. 13, 1e and 15 are detail hori-f out to receive the pro-` zontal sectional views on enlarged scales,

Ically opposite openings 46, in

ln the embodiment disclosed, the engine maybe of any well known type, and comprises a cylinder 16 mounted on a crank case d A17, and containing the usual reciprocato-ry piston 18. The piston has a ipitman connection 19 with the crank 20 ot' the usual engine shaft 21 journaled in the walls of the crank case. Any suitable means (not shown) may be employed for introducing charges to this, engine and permitting the `exhaust thereof.

.The igniter in the present embodiment comprises a compression chamber, shown in the torm of an open-ended tube 22, mounted on one side of the engine, and having communication with the interior'. of the'chamber through .a smallport 23 that opens into a passage 2-'1 through the-cylinder wall. An explosive mixture from any suitable source is admitted into one end of this chamber,y through a passageway 25 extending from a coupling 26, to which a supply pipe may bel attached. This passageway 25 is controlled by an inwardly opening valve 27 carried by a valve stem 28 that projects from-the head of the valve casing, and is surrounded by a suitable closing spring 29. The outer end of the valve stem 28 is suitably connected to the offset-end 30 of an actuating rod 31, which rod reciprocates in suitable bearings 32 and 33 and terminates in a yoke 34 surrounding the engine shaft. This yoke has a roller 35 on itsv free end that is borne against by a cam 36.

Operating in the compressionchamber 22 is a reciprocatory plunger 37 formed by the .i

the main portion 38 of which a plunger stem. This pluncasing 39'surend of a rod, may be termed ger stem extends through a rounding the compression chamber 22 and having a closed bottom 40, upon which rests a spring 41. The spring bears against a sleeve 42 secured. to the rod within the cas* ing 39, and having its upper end flanged and moving between the chamber 22 and said casing 39. This flanged end is borne against by the spring 41.

A. vreciprocatory rod 4:3 ext nds through case, a d is slidably this rod is liollowed jecting end of the stem 38. The said stem `is provided with an annular groove 45, and

clutch alla e7' that icov ofthe groove 45, as will be evident by a com-v parison of Figs. v5 and 7. A clutch-controlling collar 48 is.slidably` mounted on the end of the rod 43 over the said balls, and has an internal annular groove 49 that receives the same under certain conditions. This collar .is normally frictionally held against movement on the rod 43, and to this end, a coiled spring 50 is preferably located in a groove therein and binds against the said rod.

The rod 43 has a pivotalvconnection, as

shown at 51with the stem 52 'of a yoke 53 surrounding an eccentric 54. By referring to Fig. 1, itwill bevnoted'that the eccentric 54 and the cam' 36 are integral with a sleeve 55, which is keyed as shown at 56 to an inner sleeve 57 'mounted on a countershaft 58. The countershaft has a 2:'1 gear connection 59 with the engine shaft, and, the .inner sleeve 57 is provided with a pin 60 operating- ,in a curved groove 61 formed in the countershaft 58. The saidfinnersleeve 5-7is capable I of longitudinal movement on the shaft, and in the sleeve 55,` and it will be evident will have a .slight turnlng movementv with rel spect to said shaft 58.. The movement of the said inner sleeve 57 can be securedl'by any suitable means, as for instance by` a sector '62,' the teeth of which mesh withanpositionto hold t-he clutch balls 47 in the groove 45 of the plunger stem.` As the ec centric 54 is rotated, the rod 43 will be moved downwardly, carrying the plunger with it, and correspondingly compressing the spring 41. During this movement, the cam 36 is operating to open the *valver 27, and conse-y quently an explosive charge is drawn into `the compression chamber 22. `As the said its path. The rod,

plunger reaches 'the limit of its down or withdrawal stroke, the clutch controlling collar'48 will strike the' guide 44 located in however continues to move downwardly, and therefore the clutch balls '47 willbe brought into register with' the internal groove 49 in said collar. Im- Y mediately, said balls will be forcedout into.

the groove thereby releasing'the plun er 'from the actuating rod 43, `and the conpresscd spring 41 will react to suddenly re-v turn the plunger 37 to its first position. It is believed this will be clear by, reference to Fi s.'! 6 and 7.. `The relation of the parts is asy '.suc that this Sudden compression lwill kbe suiii'cient to a forcible and almost i11-v stantaneous compression of the mixture in the compression chamber, so that it will be spontaneously ignited and the ilamewill shootout through the small orifice 23 into the engine cylinder. At this time,the pis-- ton has ycompressedjthe charge therein, and v again be elevated, and as it. approaches the upper limit of its stroke, th'e clutchcontrolling colla-n.48 will strike the b0ssonthe- 'i lower end of the casing 39. As a`result, the

Sballs will, b e `carried above the internal groove 49 in saidcollar,I and will/therefore be forced inwardly int'o the groove 45. Theactuating -rod 43 thus becomes again clutched to the plunger stem, and the parts are in a position to have a vrepetition of the cycle of opera-tion above described. The exlvhaustin the ignition chamber is secured by making the lorifice 23 of a. size that will permit the gases to be discharged from the compression chamber before a. fresh charge is drawn into the same. Inorder to change the period ofthis compression and ignition with respect to the operation of the engine piston, it is only necessary to shift the lever 65, Ain which case, the cam 36 and eccentric 54 will be rotated upon the countershaft 58, and thus the ignition can be advanced or retarded as desired.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of con# struction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theI advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention',

what I claim as new, Letters Patent,'is: v

1.- 'lhe combination with an internal com and desire to secure by bustiuon-engine, ofan igniter therefor, comprising'a compression chamber,- means for admitting chargesto the compression chamber, a charge-compressing device having a back and forthA movement in the chamber, `an

actuatin l device forthe charge compressing devices 1dably engaged therewith and also having a "back ,and forth movement, the 2 1 0jdependent of the movement of*A the other, A

movement of each in one direction being inand Vmeans `for periodically connecting the slidably engaged portionsof the charge come' pressing device and the actuating device tof secure their simultaneous movement and disconnecting the same \to pendent movement.

permit. theirl inile-v 2. The combination with an internal coI-n-4 i bustion engine, of anigniter therefor, comprising a compression chamber, means for rse chamber,

rocatory charge-compressing device movab thereforslidably telesco 5 therewith, 'said devices being capable o 'independent Inovement, and means mounted on the telescoping portion for lperiodically connecting the chargeecompressing device and "actuatin device to effect the movement of the' one rom the other and disconnecting the 'same to permit one to operate independently of the other. l y

' 3. The combination with an internal cm'- bustion engine, of an igniter therefor, comprising al compression chamber, means for admitting charges thereto, a reciprocatory charge-compressing device movable in the chamber, a reciprocatory actuating device therefor, said devices being capable-of .in-

dependent movement, a clutch surrounding both members for eriodically connecting and disconnecting t el charge-compressing device and actuating device, and means for automatically actuating the clutch.

4. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an igniter therefor, comprising a compressionchamber, means for admitting charges there-to and exhausting the ignited material there rom into the engine, a plunger operating in the chamber, a reciprocatory actuating rod for the plunger slidabl engaged therewith, aclutch' element or connecting and disconnecting the rod and plunger, a controllin device inovable With the rod and slida le longitudinally thereon for effecting the operation of the clutch element,

same with respect to the rod.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an igniter therefor, comprising a compression chamber havin communication with the engine, means or adF mitting a charge to the compression chamber, means lfor compressing the charge in the chamber, an actuating device for the compressing. means. slidably telescoping ,therewithand movable independently thereof, a device that detachably connects the actuating device and compressing means to effect their simultaneous movement, and means that periodically operates the connecting device to cause it to disconnect the actuating device and compressing means.

6. The combination Wit an internal combustion engine, of anigniter therefor, comprising a compression chamber having communication with the engine, means for admitting a charge to the compression chamber, means for compressing the charge inthe chamber, an actuating device forthe compressing means slidably engaged therewith' and movable independently thereof,

a device movably ymounted on the slidably engaged portion of the actuating device and a .reciprocatory actuating device lbastion engine, of an i and means in .the path lof the controlling device for shifting the detachably engagin the compressing means to 'effect their simu taneous movement, and means that periodically operates the connecting device to alternately cause it to con vneet and disconnect the actuating device and compressing means.

7. Tliecombination With an internal comiter therefor, co piising'acompression-e amber havin coih'- Inuiiication With the engine, means or admitting a charge to the compression chamber, means for coi'nprreseingv the charge in 'the chamber, an actuatin device for the compressing means movab e independently thereof, an eccentricA member for continuously operatin the actuating device, means for periodical y connecting the actuating device and -compressing means to move the latter by the former and vdisconnecting the same to permit theindependent operation of the compressing means, and means for operating the lcompressing means when disengaged from the actuating device.

8. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an igniter therefor, comprising a ,compression chamber,means for admittinglcharges thereto, a plunger operating int e chamber, a plunger-operating device, means continuously actuated by the engine' and continuously moving the plunger-operating device, and .anautomatically operated clutch for` periodically connecting and disconnecting said device and plunger.

. 9. The 'combination vyith an internal combustion engine, of an ignitertherefor, comprisingY a compression chamber communieating with the engine, means for admitting charges thereto, a reciprocatory plunger member operating in the chamber, av reciprocatory operating member for the plunger member, means operated by the engine for continuously reciprocating the operating means, a clutchmoving with one of said members, and enga ing and disengaging the other member, an ,means located inthe path of the clutch for automatically operating the same.

10. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an igniter therefor, comprisinga compression 'chamber having communication with the engine, means for admitting charges to the chamber, a plunger'operating in the chamber and having a stem, means operated by the engine includ- ,compress a charge to t e ignition pointy when the stem is released from the rod.y

l1. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of an igniter therefor, comprising a compressiony chamber having Comunication with the engine, a. va1veddevices located inthe path of movement of controlled charge inlet to the chamber, the clutch lfor connecting the stem to and means operated by the vengine for actuatdisconnecting'it from the rod. ing the valve, a reciprocatory glunger op? In testimony Whereofl have hereunto set 5 erating lin the chamber and hajvin a, valve my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 15 stem, a spring for moving the p unger in' -nesses. y one direction, a reciprocatory rod actuated WILLIAMS. SUTTON. by the engine and telescoping with the stem,- Witnesses: a clutch carried by thel rod and movable into JMYR'ILE E. RAY, 10 md out of engagement with the stem, and. ALICER. SHOVE. 

